When I first started Weregeek, I had never really drawn a background before. Oh, sure, I’d played around with perspective before in my drawing classes, but it was always a terrifying, foreign thing – more akin to math than to art.

However, because I’m slightly crazy and stubborn as a mule, I made myself a promise that I would hand draw all of the backgrounds for Weregeek, and that I would make an effort to try out new and interesting angles, details, and etc.

Except for a few occasions where I realized that the background I’d drawn didn’t quite fit into the time I’d scheduled myself to finish the comic, I have never regretted this decision. I actually find backgrounds fun to draw now, something I’d never even considered was possible when I was younger. (Backgrounds, I reasoned, were work.)

These are a few of my background/color studies that I did sometime last year, just to test out a few things. (Oh, yeah, did I mention that at the same time I’d also promised myself to do this comic in full color, something I’d never done before at the time? Remember what I was saying about me being crazy and stubborn? Yeah, it’s a special mix… ^^;)

^ 14 Comments to “Backgrounds”

filkin Says:

These are great! Do you have more, and can you set them as downloadable computer backgrounds?

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 1:02 am

sillymagpie Says:

You did those in only 30 minutes? I officially hate you, but in a good way.

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 1:35 am

KenderBryant Says:

Very nice! Wish I could draw that good that fast. I had some speed-drawing exercises in my Drawing for Animation class, but looking at a 60+ year old man in a thong was disturbing.

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 2:17 am

Smördraken Says:

I think filkin’s got the idea:D

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 2:31 am

Plasma Man Says:

I like how the second one has a subtle suggestion of a dragon as the roof of the cave, presumably this is hinting at what’s making the glow inside.

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 6:30 am

Thursday Says:

what medium are you using? (other than ink)

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 7:31 am

wanderer Says:

@Plasma Man – Dragon? I was thinking more of an adventuring party chill spot or some cave trolls needing to be adventured on :).

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 8:52 am

Saskia Says:

These are awesome. 😀 I feel the same way as you have felt about backgrounds and color XD

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 12:04 pm

WyrmPilot Says:

What filkin said. Only, to the fifth power or something. These are awesome!

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 1:44 pm

Paul Says:

Those look like epic backgrounds

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 7:30 pm

rb Says:

you like to cheat with overhangs. the tree? it hides the cliff where the path vanishes. that dragon cave… well, it looks pretty cool!

Posted May 20th, 2011 at 8:12 pm

Fazzey Says:

…I am a total geek…I saw the first one & almost shouted “OMG!! Feralis!!”…..I think I play too much World of Warcrack….And the second made me thing a dragon was masquerading as a cave…..I like it.

Posted May 21st, 2011 at 6:59 pm

dr pepper Says:

@KenderBryant: Just pretend he’s Harrison Ford.

Posted May 21st, 2011 at 7:50 pm

Caspia Says:

I can see what you’re getting at with the backrounds but if you really want depth then you need to stop being afraid of using all the values of the colours available to you.

Try drawing all the backrounds first in black and white, and I mean BLACK and WHITE areas need to be in them, and everything inbetween. It’ll force you to thing of the form of the areas that you’re drawing and the planes you’re working with. Which means perspective drawings.

Everything as simple shapes that are easy to draw with say…2 point perspective? Then add details. Big brushes then recover the image when colouring.

Go for it. It may take time and not everything will come out looking “good” but I know you are capable of it. Push yourself!